Theater chair



M. W. HARD THEATER CHAIR July 21, 1942.

Filed Dec. 6, 1939 2. Sheets-Sheet l July 21, 1942. w, H 2,290,556

THEATER CHAIR Filed Dec. 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 21, 1942 I UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFlC THEATER CHAIR Merrill W. Hard, Glendale, Calif. Application December 6, 1939, Serial No. 307,782

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a chair and more specifically pertains to chairs of the character employed in theater auditoriums and the like, where a series of rows of chairs are provided for accommodating audiences; the present invention particularly pertaining to improvements in chairs of the type set forth in Letters Patents Number 1,456,235, issued to me May 22, 1923, and Number 2,098,623, issued to me November 9, 1937, and which chairs are characterized by the embodiment of a seat that may be easily moved back by the occupant of the chair to permit easy passing of persons between the occupant of a chair and a chair in front of such occupant and without requiring the occupant to arise from the seat.

The primary object of the present invention is that sought in the Letters Patents aforesaid, namely, to provide a mounting for the chair seat and back so constructed and arranged that when the occupant of the seat assumes the natural position of a person about to arise from the seat, which involves leaning forward and drawing the feet rearward, the weight of the person together with the natural rearward thrust imparted to the seat will act to effect rearward movement of the seat, thereby causing rearward movement of the knees of the seated person such as to provide ample space for the passing of a person between the back of a chair in front of the occupied seat and the knees of the persons seated on the'latter.

Another object which is alsoincidental to the patents aforesaid is to provide a mounting for the chair and back whereby the retractive movement of the seat as above stated will effect forward movement of the upper portion of the chair back from a rearwardly inclined position to an upright or near upright position so as to effect an increase in the width of the space between the upper portion of the chair back and a chair located rearward thereof in an adjacent row of chairs.

The particular object of the present invention is to provide an improved and greatly simplified construction in the chair seat and back mounting and connections so as to effect reduction in the cost of construction and installation of the chair.

Another object is to provide a construction and arrangement in the chair whereby relative inward movement of the seat and back thereof from the normal position when occupied occasioned on retraction of the seat the extent of the consequent contraction of the chair from front to back will be materially increased over that afforded by 5 the constructions disclosed in the patents aforesaid.

Another object is to provide a mounting for a retractable chair seat embodying an arrangement of arms, links and levers having pivotal mountings and connections so located in relation to a support for the seat that the weight of the occupant of the seat will act both to effect reciprocal movement of the seat andretardation of such movement at the end portions of the path of travel of the seat.

A further object is to provide an improved mode of mounting the chair and back between a pair of standards, such that the latter may be positioned either in parallel relation to each other or be disposed in Various radial relations to each other; the mounting of the chair seat and back being adjustable to accommodate the seat and back to the various adjusted positions of the standards relative to each other and whereby assemblage of the chair in rows in a theater auditorium is greatly facilitated.

With the foregoing objects in view together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear the invention is carried into effect as illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which: 7

Fig. 1 is a view of the chair in front elevation showing it in its normal position and depicting the chair in its relation to a chair arranged alongside thereof in a row: 7

Fig. 2 is an end view of the chair shown in Fig. 1 with an end standard removed and as seen on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a view of the chair shown in Fig. 2 showing it in its operated position with the seat thereof retracted and the back thereof swung forward to an upright position:

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1 showing the manner of constructing the pivotal mounting of the seat support:

Fig. 5 is a plan view depicting a pair of chairs as arranged side by side and showing one of the chairs in its normal position and the other in its actuated position: 7

Fig. 6 is a detail in horizontal section and plan taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1 showing the adjustable mounting of the seat:

Fig. 7 is a view in front elevation partly in section of the structure shown in Fig. 6:

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1 showing the construction of the forward seat support and the manner of operation thereof in limiting the advance and retractive movement of the seat:

In the drawings the sectional views are viewed as looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the section lines and corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings more specifically l9 indicates the side standards of the chair; a pair of such standards being employed in each chair with a single standard serving for each of adjacent chairs arranged side by side, as in an assemblage of a row of chairs. Each standard l9 comprises an upstanding panel which may be of any suitable construction and is here shown as formed of sheet metal. The upper end of the standard is fitted with an arm rest Projecting from adjacent faces of a pair of l the standards near the lower ends and forward edges thereof are pivot pins |2 particularly shown in Fig. 4; the pivot pins |2 projecting from opposite sides of the standard It] in alignment with each other where the standard is interposed between and serves for each of adjacent chairs arranged side by side. As here shown the standard I is formed of spaced plates l3 arranged on opposite sides of and connected to reinforcing members I4. The pivot pin I2 is here shown as comprising a bolt having a threaded shank |5 fitted with a head I6 and joined to the latter through a narrow rectangular shoulder l1; the plate |3 being formed with an outwardly pressed pocket l8 formed with a square opening |9 through which the bolt is passed from the inside of the plate to seat the head |6 thereof in the pocket with the square shoulder |1 disposed in the square opening |9 whereby the bolt is held against turning movement relative to the plate l3.

Mounted on the pivot pin |2 for oscillatory movement is an upwardly extending arm 23 which has a slightly cushioned connection with the pivot pin so that it may swing on the latter whether the plane of the arm and the axis of the pin extend perpendicular or slightly oblique relative to each other. This cushioned connection is made by forming the arm 29 with a circular opening 2| having a diameter exceeding that of the shank l5 and interposing a fiber ring 22 between the margin of said opening and the outer periphery of the shank. A fiber ring 23 is interposed between the arm 23 and the outer face of the pocket l8 and a fiber ring 24 i interposed between the outer face of arm 20 and a nut 25 screwed on the shank l5. The enlarged opening 2| and the fiber rings 22, 23 and 24 permit positioning of the arm 29 and the axis of the pin [2 in slightly diagonal relation to each other.

The arm 20 is bent rearwardly at an obtuse angle adjacent the upper end thereof, and is connected at its upper end to a rearwardly extending link 26 through a pivot 21, which link is upturned at its outer end and connects through a pivot 28 with an upwardly extending lever 29 constituting the side member of a chair back 33; the lever 29 being pivotally connected intermediate its ends by a pivot pin 3| to the upper rearward portion of the standard It at a point on a plane above the arm rest The lower end of the lever 29 extends below the'pivot 2B and is pivotally connected by a pivot 32 with a side bracket 33 on a chair seat 34; the bracket 33 projecting rearwardly from the lower margin of the side of the seat 34 and the latter extending forwardly between the upper end portions of the arms 20 which terminate intermediate the upper and lower side margins of the seat.

As a means for supporting the forward portion of the seat 34, a rod 35 is connected at its ends to the arms 29 and is fitted with rollers 33 on which the seat 34 is adapted to rest. The underside of the seat 34 is fitted with a pair of tracks 31 on which the roller 33 bear, which tracks are inclined and lead downwardly and rearwardly relative to the forward end of the seat and have their ends curved sharply downward to provide stops 38 and 39 at the front and back ends of the tracks against which the rollers 36 are adapted to abut to limit swinging movement of the arms 29 forward and back.

The effectiveness of the operation of the chair is largely dependent on the relative positions of the several pivotal connections I2, 21, 23, 3| and 32 and their relation to the inclined tracks 37 and rollers 36. This relation will best be understood when explained in connection with Fig. 3 of the drawings in which the chair is shown as disposed in its contracted position with the back 39 thereof extending vertically and with the seat 34 fully retracted and in which position the rollers 36 abut the forward end 38 of the tracks 31. Referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the axis of the shaft 35 carrying the rollers 36 is disposed in forward offset relation to a vertical plane extending through the axes of the pivots l2 and 21, which arrangement is here afforded by forming bends in the arms 23. The pivots 21 at the upper ends of the arms 23 connect with the rearwardly extending links 26 on a plane below the pivots 28 connecting the links to the levers 29 and on a plane above the pivots 32 connecting the lower ends of the levers 23 to the seat brackets 33, which pivots 28 and 32 extend on a common vertical plane extending in rearward spaced relation to the vertical plane of the axes of the pivots 3|. The reason for the locations of the pivots just described will become apparent hereinafter in the explanation of operation of the invention. The links 26 are bent as shown so as to lie in most part below the upper face of the seat 34 where they are not liable to become entangled with garments of occupants of the chair.

An important feature of the invention resides in the construction of the pivots 3| and the manner of mounting same and of connecting the levers 29 thereto, whereby the chair back may be properly supported to swing between apair of the standards l0 whether they extend parallel with each other or converge in radial relation to each other. As here shown the pivot 3| comprises an angle bolt consisting of'an elbow .49 connecting a threaded shank constituting the pivot 3| to a cylindrical shank 4| having a threaded stem 42 on its end; the axes of'the pivot 3| and shank 4| extending at right angles relative to each other with the shank 4| extending vertically through a sleeve 43 carried on the standard. I

The shank 4| is adapted to be turned in the sleeve 43 to a desired adjusted position and to be secured against movement in the sleeve 43 by a nut 44 screwed on the stem 42 to bear against the lower end of the sleeve and thereby tightly clamp a shoulder 45 on the shank 4| against the upper end of the sleeve.

A stop nut 43 is screwed on the threaded pivot 3| against which is positioned a fiber ring 41 whereupon the lever 23 is positioned on the pivot 3| against th'e ring 47 and a fiber ring 48 is placed on the pivot to bear between the lever and a nut 49 screwed on the outer end of the pivot. A fiber ring 50 is interposed between the pivot 3| and the margin of an opening 5| in the lever 29 through which the pivot 3| is passed.

Means are provided for preventing excessive swinging movement of the chair back 30 in either direction in event the seat 34 be swung upward on the pivots 32 such as to move the tracks 37 clear of the rollers 36, as might occur if the forward end of the seat be lifted from the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it being possible to swing the seat upward a short distance from the position shown in Fig. 3 by reason of the abutting surfaces shown therein being cushions and yieldable. This means is here shown as comprising a pair of abutments 52 and 53 mounted on the standards I0 to project on opposite sides of the arms 20 at points spaced slightly from the positions assumed by the front and back edges of the arms 2!! when the latter are disposed in their normal forward and rearward positions; the abutments serving to limit swinging movement of the arms 20 and consequently of the back 30 in event the ends 38 and 39 of the tracks 31 are lifted clear of the rollers33.

The abutments 52 and 53 serve as stops for the arms 20 only when the seat is elevated to clear the rollers 36, since the latter are better suited to limit swinging of the arms during operation of the chair as they act in conjunction with the end portions of the inclined tracks to retard free movement of the arms at the ends of the paths of travel thereof and thus obviate impact and resultant jolt as might occur were the arms brought against the abutments 5253.

In the application of the invention theseats 34 with their associated backs 30 are mounted and arranged between a pair of spaced standards ID, as before described, ordinarily with a series of the chairs thus formed arranged side by side in either a straight row or a row disposed in the arc of a circle in the fashion commonly employed in seating arrangements in theater auditoriums, and the like; a series of such rows being usually provided with adjacent rows spaced such distance apart as to afford adequate room for persons occupying the seats, but which distance is ordinarily insufiicient to permit the easy passage of persons between the occupants of the seats and the backs of the chairs in front thereof.

In the operation of the invention the seats are normally disposed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when occupied by a person sitting on the seat in a normal position, that is with the body well back on the seat, with the back resting against the seat back 33 and with the lower limbs below the knees disposed in an upright or forwardly extending position. The Weight of the person will then act to maintain the seat in its forwardmost position by reason of the forward inclination of the arms 20 and also the weight of the person imposed on the seat 34 bearing on the rollers 36 tending to maintain the arms 20 in their forwardly inclined positions.

The downturned rear ends 39 of the tracks 31 will then engage the rollers 36 and act to limit the forward inclination of the arms 20 in cooperation with the toggle connection between the arms 20 and the standards afforded by the links 26 and levers 29, coupled with the interconnection between the back portion of the seat and the chair back afiorded by the brackets 33 and the protruding lower ends of the levers 29.

When the occupant of the seat leanslforwardly and moves the feet rearwardly'as' in assuming a position preparatory to arising from the seat when .the latter isinyits forward position shown in Fig. 2, B, rearward thrust is imposed on the seat such as to move the latter backward and thereby shift the brackets 33 rearwardly together with the lower portion'of the seat back 30 throughthe lever29 whereby the upper portion of the back is swung forwardly. The rearward movement of the lower portion of the lever 29 causes the links 26 to swing the upper end portion of the arms 20 upwardly and rearwardly. The weight of the occupant of theseat is then imposed in most part on the forward portion of the seat causing the inclined track 3'! to traverse the roller 35 thereby exerting a rearward thrust on the seat and thus assist in effecting retrograde movement of the seat until the latter is brought to rest with the rollers 36 abutting the downturned forward ends 38 of the tracks. On the seat being thus brought to rest the back 30 will be disposed in a vertical or near vertical position as shown in Fig. 3, while the seat will be disposed in a retracted position substantially on a plane corresponding to that occupied by the seat when it is in an advanced position. By the operation just described the seat 34 is retraced considerably at its forward edge and likewise the upper portion of theback 30 is advanced forwardly so that the chair will then be considerably contracted in its dimensions from front to back. The operation as above described is effected without the occupant of the chair arising therefrom, but by reason of the retraction of the seat, the torso and knees of the occupant are automatically moved rearwardly and by reason of having retracted the feet, an increase in the space between the chairfs occupant and a chair or chairs in front thereof is effected, thereby permitting persons to pass in front of the occupant of the retracted seat without tripping over the latters feet.

On the occupant again assuming a normal position by advancing the feet and leaning back the seat will move forward and the parts will be restored to their normal position of occupancy. In assembling the chairs in rows in an auditorium the standards It are disposed either in parallel or in radial relation to each other according to requirements and the standards are affixed to the floor of the auditorium in any suitable manner. By the provision ofthe adjustable pivotal mountings l2 and 3| between the supports of the seat and back and the standards, the axis of rotation of the seat supporting arms 20 and of the back supporting levers 29 may be varied to permit positioning of the standards in either parallel or angular relation to each other; the elbow 40 being turned in the sleeve 43 and then affixed in the latter by the nut 44 in a position todispose the axis of the pivotal mountings 3| in the desired requisite angular relation to the plane of the adjacent standard, and the nut 25 on the threaded ends of the pins |2 being adjusted to permit pivotal movement of the links 20 either perpendicular to the axes of the pins |2 or in diagonal relation thereto.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their for,-

mation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A chair comprising a pair of standards, a pair of upwardly extending arms pivotally connected to the lower portions of said standards, a chair back, pivotal connections between said chair back and the upper portions of said standards, a chair seat pivotally connected at its rear portion to the lower portion of said chair back, means for supporting the forward portion of said seat on said arms in movable relation thereto including stop means for limiting relative movement of said seat and arms, and links connecting the lower portion of said chair back to the upper ends of said arms.

2. A chair comprising a pair of standards, a pair of upwardly extending arms pivotally connected to the lower portions of said standards, a chair back, pivotal connections between said chair back and the upper portions of said standards, a chair seat pivotally connected at its rear portion to the lower portion of said chair back, means for supporting the forward portion of said seat on said arms in movable relation thereto comprising inclined tracks on said seat and rollers on said arms on which said tracks are adapted to seat, and links connecting the lower portions of said chair back to the upper ends of said arms.

3. A chair comprising a pair of standards, a chair back pivoted intermediate its ends to the upper portion of said standards, a seat, a, pivotal connection between the lower end portion of said chair back and the rear portion of said sheet, a pair-of upwardly extending arms pivoted relative to the lower portions of said standards, links connecting the upper ends of said arms to said chair back intermediate the pivotal mounting thereof and the pivotal connection at the lower end portion thereof with said seat, and means for supporting said seat on said arms by which said arms are movable relative to said seat.

4. A chair comprising a pair of standards, a chair back pivoted intermediate its ends to the upper portion of said standards, a seat, a pivotal connection between the lower end portion of said chair back and the rear portion of said seat, a pair of upwardly extending arms pivoted relative to the lower portions of said standards, links connecting the upper ends of said arms to said chair back intermediate the pivotal mounting thereof and the pivotal connection at the lower end portion thereof with said seat, inclined tracks on said seat, and rollers on said arms on which said tracks bear, said arms being movable relative to said seat.

5. A chair comprising a pair of standards, a chair back pivoted intermediate its ends to the upper portion of said standards, a seat, a pivotal connection between the lower end portion of said chair back and the rear portion of said seat, a pair of upwardly extending arms pivoted to the lower portions of said standards, links connecting the upper ends of said arms to said chair back intermediate the pivotal mounting thereof and the pivotal connection at the lower end portion thereof with said seat, inclined tracks on said seat, rollers on said arms on which said tracks bear, said arms being movable relative to said seat, and stops on said seat for limiting relative movement of arms and seat, said stops comprising spaced curved ends on said track against which said rollers may abut.

6. The structure called for in claim 4, together withstops on the standards for limiting movement of said arms in either direction when said seat is elevated from operative relation to said rollers.

7. The structure called for in claim 4, together with spaced stops on said standards arranged on opposite sides of said arms for limiting movement of said arms in either direction when said seat is elevated to lift the tracks from engagement with said rollers.

8. In a chair, a pair of standards adapted to be fixed in either parallel or angular relation to each other, a chair back arranged between said standards, pivotal connections between said standards and chair back having axially aligned pivot pins on which said chair back is pivoted intermediate its ends to swing back and forth and stems depending from said pivot pins and movably mounted on the standards for varying the angular relation of the axis said pins relative to the standards whereby the latter may be disposed in either parallel or angular relationto each other without materially disaligning the axes of said pins, a seat pivotally carried by said seat back for vertical swinging movement, upwardly extending arms pivotally mounted on said standards arranged to swing in parallel relation to each other, means for supporting the forward portion of said seat on said arms, the pivotal mounting of said arms embodying pivot pins carried by said standards on which said arms are carried, and yieldable bearings embodied in the connections between said arms and pins.

MERRILL W. HARD. 

